The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

New in Cairo Cinemas: What to Expect From This Week’s Top Film Releases

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Welcome back Cinema lovers, this week we’ve got a whole bunch of movies to choose from. The highlights are a musical adventure in the pop world with Natalie Portman in Vox Lux (2018), or a comic experience in Holmes & Watson (2018) starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Finally, you can travel to the Antarctic Circle with Cold Skin (2017) in a sci-fi/horror story.

What’s it about? Vox Lux follows the story of a young teenager surviving a national tragedy, only to use her passion and talent to find her place in the pop industry. The film stars Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Willem Dafoe, and is written and directed by Brady Corbet.

The good: Brady Corbet is an award-winning actor, writer, and director, and while he has had previous success, none of his past movies were as big as this, so we could be witnessing the birth of a new star in this movie. The plot is enthralling, and critic reviews have been highly positive. Add to that the talents of Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, and of course, Natalie Portman, you’ve got yourself a must-see.

The bad: Being a musical drama, no matter how well-crafted this movie may be, there’s a still a large sector that it will not appeal to.

What’s it about? Yet another Sherlock Holmes production, but this time the movie takes a humorous perspective. Will Ferrell plays Sherlock Holmes, while John C. Reilly portrays Doctor Watson in one of the classic mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

The good: The movie is written and directed by Etan Cohen who has been involved in the writing of hit comedy movies such as Tropic Thunder and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He also directed Get Hard, so has previous experience with Will Ferrell. Of course, star power is strong with this one, and Ferrell and Reilly are expected to form quite a strong comic duo.

The bad: Taking such a popular character as Sherlock Holmes and reducing it to a humorous take is a risky business. Even more so with Robert Downey Jr. portraying the character with smashing success in 2011, not to mention the ongoing success of the Sherlock TV Series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

What’s it about? The movie is set in 1914 and follows the story of a man taking the post of a weather observer on a remote island near the Antarctic Circle. His job turns into horror as he is trapped by vicious creatures living on the island.

The good: The movie is a classic new job gone bad, with a horror twist, but the production value elevates the whole film. Visually, it’s captivating, and the actors do everything they can to make it work as an engaging and thrilling adventure.

The bad: Production value and talent in acting is necessary, but without a good plot, any movie will not make it. While some critics have praised it, most feel that it ends up feeling empty and draggy.